Mark Stevenson, Contributing Writer
Articles
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When it comes to materials with the most promise in automotive applications, carbon fiber and graphene each rank high on the list.
Unlike graphene, however, real-world carbon fiber applications exist...
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Electric cars are 'historic opportunity' for US carmakers: Autonation CEO
Unlike many auto dealers and dealership groups that see selling electric vehicles as a necessary burden, AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson believes electric vehicles offer a "historic opportunity" for the industry Speaking at the Automotive News World Congress, Jackson recognized the challenges...
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2019 Ram 1500 pickup has 48-volt 'mild hybrid' system for fuel economy
The dominant news at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit was about pickup trucks. Ironically, the Detroit automaker with the fewest electrified models on sale was the only one to bring hybridization to a new truck, in the form of its brand-new 2019 Ram 1500. Fiat Chrysler...
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Fisker EMotion: what we learned about 400-mile electric car at CES
Fisker Inc., the second namesake automaker from the Danish auto designer, rolled out its first model at the Consumer Electronics Show last week and gave us some details on what to expect from the luxury electric car. The supercar-esque sedan, which Fisker hopes will steal customers away from rival...
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All renewable energy types to be cost-competitive by 2020: report
Renewable-energy generation costs are falling like photons onto a solar panel. By 2020, it's expected all types of renewable-energy generation will be able to compete with fossil fuels on cost. That's right: saving our environment will actually save electric utilities some money, too. DON'T MISS...
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Tesla wins another, licensed to sell electric cars in Rhode Island
Tesla can now add another notch to its sales board. Rhode Island will allow the direct sale of Teslas and has issued a state dealer license to the company to open a dealer in Warwick. Additionally, the city itself issued its own license to the electric-vehicle manufacturer, which plans to take over...
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Juxtaposed against a growing electric-vehicle market in China and increasingly stringent global carbon-emission limits, a survey by KPMG has revealed a majority of global auto executives believe...
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Workhorse expands $1,000 preorders for plug-in hybrid pickup from fleets to public for $1,000
After $300 million in claimed fleet preorders for its plug-in hybrid pickup truck, Workhorse will open its order books for everyone to claim a spot in the production schedule. The Workhorse W-15 will be the first publicly available vehicle from a company that began its electrification journey more...
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2019 Audi e-tron electric SUV deliveries start in Europe this fall
The first member of Audi's forthcoming wave of electric cars is expected to start landing in European driveways this fall, possibly neck and neck with the Jaguar I-Pace. The all-electric Audi e-tron SUV will have dimensions similar to the Audi Q5 SUV and should offer enough charge from its...
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Diesel redux: 2018 BMW 540d sedan certified for US sale (but will it matter?)
BMW has announced it will resurrect the diesel 5 Series sport sedan, in the form of a 540d model, one year after the introduction of a thoroughly updated 5 Series. The company says the diesel edition will list for $62,995, including destination, once it arrives at dealerships in February. According...
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Genovation all-electric Chevy Corvette sports car debuts at CES
The idea of an all-electric Corvette is either either a wonderful marriage of American history and electric performance or complete sacrilege. Love it or hate it, it's now a reality. A company called Genovation rolled out the creation, the Genovation Extreme Electric (GXE), at the 2018 Consumer...
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Special-edition 2018 Smart Fortwo electric minicar marks 10 years of two-seater in US
Birthed from the uncommon alliance between watch company Swatch and Mercedes-Benz, Smart's goal was to bring a stylish city car to the masses with a level of personalization not seen in other models. The first Fortwo rolled off the line at Smartville (in Hambach, France) almost 20 years ago, but it...
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Though generally mum on details, Porsche has been trickling out tidbits on its forthcoming MIssion E electric sedan since it first unveiled the concept at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show.
Porsche let...
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Best deals on hybrid, electric, fuel-efficient cars for January 2018
Is one of your New Year's resolutions to go green? We're here to help with this month's deals on electric, plug-in hybrid, hybrid, and other efficient vehicles. Against last month, the cars offering the best incentives haven't changed—but the incentives themselves have. Click ahead to find...
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300,000th Nissan Leaf electric car delivered as new version kicks off
Nissan, the first automaker in the world to launch a mass-priced electric car, has a reason to celebrate this week. The automaker said on Monday it delivered the 300,000th example of its electric hatchback, the Nissan Leaf—though it did not detail whether it was one of the new...
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California OKs more than half a billion dollars to clean up freight trucks, trains, buses
California is using the growing sums of money it receives from its emission cap-and-trade auction for good, including to tackle up some of the state's most egregious transportation polluters. In mid-December, California announced it would invest $663 million in a plan to clean up particularly dirty...
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German magazine compares real-world electric-car ranges, efficiencies in cold weather
It's 41 degrees F outside. Your electric car, rated for 100 miles, has been charging all night in the cold. Ahead of you lies a 80-mile drive. How confident are you that you'll make it to your destination? What if you want to set your climate control to a comfortable 70 degrees F? Germany's...
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As expected, 2018 Ford F-150 gets V-6 diesel engine option
Ford's best-selling full-size pickup truck will be powered by a diesel engine for the first time in its 70-year history. Monday morning, Ford revealed details of the new diesel-powered 2018 Ford F-150 Power Stroke, which it claims will achieve an EPA-estimated fuel-economy rating of 30 mpg highway...
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Even as vehicles become more fuel-efficient, the unending market shift toward crossover utilities, SUVs, and trucks kept the overall average U.S. new fleet efficiency stagnant for the fourth year in...
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E10 gasoline now standard, but E15 push stalled, so here comes E30
Though the Environmental Protection Agency has already ruled on ethanol-blended gasoline mixtures for 2018, that hasn't stopped ethanol advocates from pushing for a higher 30-percent blend for non-flex-fuel vehicles. The latest call for ethanol comes from corn-state ethanol refiners, farmers, and...
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China extended tax breaks on hybrids and plug-in electric vehicles through 2020
As China stares down climate change and smog alerts in numerous cities, the central government has extended its tax rebates for hybrid and electric vehicles for another three years. Announced on December 27, the move is one of many recently that will eventually see traditional internal-combustion...
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How serious is Norway about climate change? So much that its streetlights self-dim
As children, we're all taught to turn off the lights behind us as we leave an empty room. But it seems Norwegians have taken that lesson one step further. Along a 5.5-mile stretch of road in Hole, Norway, smart streetlights automatically dim when nobody's around—then come back to full power...
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California to fall short of 100 hydrogen fueling stations by 2020
As electric charging stations continue to sprout across the country, hydrogen fueling stations haven't experienced the same rapid growth. That's an issue in California, where Assembly Bill 8 stipulates a goal of 100 functioning public hydrogen stations by 2020. The latest forecast predicts the...
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Gas prices primed to rise in 2018, highest in four years: report
As Americans collectively sigh at their credit-card bills from the holiday season, GasBuddy has some bad news that won't help ease the financial pain. The fuel price-tracking website predicts the cost of a gallon of fuel will rise by $0.19 per gallon in 2018, on average, to the highest level gas...
Mark Stevenson